Highway flare



Feb. 9, 1937. I s. M. JOHNSON HIGHWAY FLARE Filed OCT 29, 1934 INVENTOR.

BY om .M

ATTORNEYJ- Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES amass PATENT FEEQE 7Claims.

This invention is an improved highway flare, especially adapted for useby operators of automotive vehicles to mark at night the location of avehicle if, for any reason, the same has to be stopped for a protractedperiod of time along the road in a position jeopardizing the safety ofother vehicles. Usually three flares are required, one beyond each end,and one at the side, of the parked vehicle.

The objects of the invention are to provide a highway flare of sturdyconstruction, capable of withstanding the rough handling and abuse sofrequently accorded such devices; to provide a highway flare of compactdesign so that it may be stored in limited space, or so that a set maybe nested together and carried in a relatively small case; to provide adevice of the foregoing nature having an elongated burner sleeve thatkeeps the flame well spaced from the oil containing body of the flare toavoid possible overheating as well as undue deposit of smudge on saidbody; to make such sleeve retractible for protection and compactness,and to so construct it that when projected it may be used as a fillingspout for the device; to provide a closure for sealing the openingthrough which the sleeve operates so that when the closure is in placethe flare may be handled and stored without regard for its having to beheld upright or arranged in any particular position to avoid leakage,and to provide means for automatically projecting the sleeve when saidclosure is removed or opened,

While the device is intended primarily as a warning signal, it isadapted for use as an emergency light in making night repairs along theroad, and a single one, because of its strong, compact and leak-proofconstruction, may be carried conveniently and with safety in the toolcompartment or other space of an automobile.

Further and more general objects are the provision of a highway flarethat is thoroughly dependable; that will operate satisfactorily underall conditions encountered in its. intended range of service, and thatis very convenient of use.

The foregoing objects, with others hereinafter appearing, are attainedin the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of theinvention, showing it in condition for storage; Fig. 2 is a similar viewof the same in condition for use; Figs. 3 and 4 are central verticalsections through the device, the former showing the burner sleeveprojected and the wick in lighting position, while in Fig. 4 the burnersleeve is retracted and held in such posi tion by the cap that isapplied to the neck of the container body, the wick being omitted forclearness; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail through the burner sleeve andwick tube, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 shows a set of three flaresnested 5 in a carrying or storage case that is illustrated in centralsection; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of theinvention, and Fig. 8 is a sectional detail on a somewhat larger scalethrough the burner sleeve and wick tube thereof. 10

Referring to the parts by reference characters,

I designates a container body that is preferably drawn from sheet metalwith an upwardly tapering peripheral wall that is curved inwardly at itsupper end and merges with a depressed 15 top wall 2. Seamed at its lowerend within an opening of the top wall is a threaded neck 3 whose upperend is turned inwardly to provide a flange 4, the plane of the upper endof the neck being slightly below that of the edge portion of 20 the wall2 where the latter joins the peripheral wall l. A bottom wall 5 isattached to the peripheral wall by an interlocking seam 6, and in suchmanner as to inset said bottom wall a material distance above the planeof the lower edge of the seam.

Attached, as by rivets l, to one side of the container body, is a plate8 whose ends are curled over to form eyes in which the inwardlyextending terminals of wire handles ii] are journaled 0 so that thehandles may be swung from ineffective position against the containerbody, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6, to efiective position, as shownin Figs. 2 and 3.

A burner sleeve !2 is reciprocable within the neck 3. Near its inner endsaid sleeve is formed with a shoulder I3 and therebeyond with a groovefor the reception of the convolution at the smaller end of a conicalspring 54 whose larger end bears upon the bottom wall 5. The spring I 4tends to project the burner sleeve until it is stopped by the engagementof the shoulder [3 with the flange 4 of the neck 3. A wick tube 15 islocated within the sleeve l2 in spaced relation to the wall thereof soas to leave a passage- 45 way It between said tube and wall. The wicktube is preferably constructed of a piece of sheet metal bent intocylindrical form with its vertical edges turned outwardly, as shown atll in Fig. 5, and suitably attached, as by welding or brazing, 50 to thewall of the sleeve l2. A wick l3 extends through and is supported by thetube 5 with its upper end spaced a suitable distance above the upperedge of the sleeve 12 and its lower end reposing within the containerbody where it is 55 confined to a generally central location therein bythe spring l4 so as to better insure its dipping into a quantity of oilthat may be poured into the body through the passageway N5 of the burnersleeve when the latter is in projected position.

The upper end of the burner tube is desirably spaced an appreciabledistance below the corresponding edge of the sleeve I2 so that when theupper end of the wick is lighted the flame will be prevented fromblowing out entirely in the event of a heavy gust of wind by its beingprotected at its base by the elevated surrounding portion of the sleeve.Also this feature provides a space within which the soft upper end ofthe wick may be compressed when the sleeve is retracted against thetension of the spring M, as in Fig. 4, and a closure 20, in the natureof a screw cap, is applied to the neck 3. The edge portion of a gasket2i seals the joint between the cap and the outer end of the neck so asto prevent leakage of oil in case the device is tilted or inverted. Whenthe device is conditioned for storage by the retraction of the burnersleeve and the application of the closure 20 to the neck of thecontainer body, and by the folding of the handles l8 against said body,a set of the flares may be nested together by placing one upon anotherso that the top of one container body occupies the recess provided bythe inset bottom of the body next above, as illustrated in Fig. 6, suchnesting being made possible by the fact that the top wall 2 of each bodyis inset suificiently to accommodate the neck and closure within thecavity thus provided. Three flares so nested may be placed within acarrying or storage case, designated 22 in Fig. 6, the same having acover 23 that is shown as connected by a hinge 24 to the case.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8, thecontainer body l is semi-spherical in form and hingedly connected to theneck 3 that rises from its top portion is a cover 2E1 that is adapted tobe latched in closed position by any suitable form of catch, such asthat shown. The burner sleeve l2 of the present modification is equippedwith a dual burner tube 15 for the accommodation of flat wicks I8 eachwick slot being produced by a chan nel member whose lateral edges areturned outwardly and flanged at I! for attachment to the wall of theburner sleeve I2 The dual burner tube is completed by a partition l5whose edges are supported by and between the adjacent portions of thechannel members. A collapsible handle Hi is attached to the side of thebody l in the same manner described in connection with the formermodification.

While I have disclosed herein but two shapes of container body, it willbe clear that the same may assume various forms and sizes; and furtherit is understood that the invention is not only susceptible to changesof shape in the container body but that it embraces all structuralmodifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a container body having an opening, a burner sleeveslidable within said opening, a wick tube within the sleeve, the samebeing formed of a piece of sheet metal whose sides are flanged outwardlyand secured to the wall of the sleeve so as to support the tube withinthe sleeve in spaced relation to the wall thereof, the sleeve beingshiftable between a projected lighting position and a retractedinoperative position, a closure for the aforesaid opening that isadapted to be placed thereover when the sleeve is retracted, and aspring arranged to automatically project the sleeve when the closure isremoved.

2. In combination, a container body that is smaller at top than bottomand having a part of its top depressed to form a cavity and an openingwithin said part, a burner sleeve movable within the opening between aprojected operative position and a retracted inoperative position, aclosure adapted to be placed over said opening when the sleevev isretracted, the container body having abottom wall inset an appreciabledistance whereby a plurality of such container bodies are adapted to benested together with the top of one received within the space providedby the inset bottom of the one next above.

3. In combination, a container body having an upwardly taperingperipheral wall and a top wall whose central portion is depressed toprovide. a cavity, said top wall having an opening, a neck surroundingsaid opening and rising to a point slightly below the plane of the topedge of the peripheral wall, a closure for application to said neck, aburner sleeve slidable within the neck, a spring within the bodycooperating with said sleeve to project the same when the closure isremoved, a wick carried by the sleeve, the. bottom wall of the containerbody being inset above, and having its peripheral portion suitablysecured to, the lower edge of the peripheral wall.

4. In combination, a container body having an upwardly taperingperipheral wall that is turned inwardly at its upper end and merges intoa depressed top wall, said top Wall having an opening, a necksurrounding said opening, a closure for application to the neck andwhich, when applied thereto, has its top surface in substantially theplane of the upper edge of the peripheral wall, a bottom wall whose edgeportion is connected by an interlocking seam to the lower edge of theperipheral wall and whose body portion is inset an appreciable distanceabove the lower edge of said seam, a burner sleeve slidable within theneck, a wick carried thereby, and a spring engaging the bottom wall ofthe container body and having its upper end connected to the inner endof the burner sleeve.

5. In combination, a container body having an opening, a burner sleevemovable therein between a projected operative position and a retractedinoperative position, the burner sleeve having a shoulder adjacent itsinner end for engagement with a part surrounding the aforesaid openingto limit the outward movement of the sleeve, the sleeve also having acircumferential groove below said shoulder, a conical spring having itslarger end engaging the bottom wall of the container body and theconvolution at its smaller end en- 1 gaged within the aforesaid grooveof the sleeve, a

wick carried by the sleeve whose inner end is confined by the spring,and a closure for the aforesaid opening adapted to be applied theretowhen the burner sleeve is retracted.

6. In combination, a container body having an opening, a burner sleeveslidable within said opening, a dual wick tube within the sleeve, thesame being formed of a partition and inwardly facing channel members onopposite sides thereof whose edges are flanged outwardly and secured tothe wall of the sleeve, the sleeve being shiftable between a projectedlighting position and a retracted inoperative position, a closure forthe aforesaid being formed of a piece of sheet metal whose sides areflanged outwardly and secured to the wall of the sleeve so as to supportthe tube within the sleeve in spaced relation to the wall thereof, the

sleeve being shiftable between a projected lighting 5 position and aretracted inoperative position.

SMITH M. JOHNSON.

